Molded article



1964 J. J. GROOMER ETAL 3,156,943

MOLDED ARTICLE Filed June 19, 1961 IN V EN TOR.

% 4 Jesse J. Groamtr, Gav-5 JCv-omucr and M i. H ".6 M. Gvoo mcv ATTOE/VE 3,155,943 MGLDED ARTECLE Jesse J. Groomer, Gary .1. Groomer, and Mildred M. Groomer, all of 465 N. Baldwin Ave, Sierra Madre, Calif.

Filed June 19, 1961, Ser. No. 118,186 3 Qlaims. (til. 16--11tl) This invention relates to plastics and more especially to plastic covered rigid or solid articles. This application is a continuation-in-part of application No. 818,- 976 filed June 8, 1959, now abandoned.

An object of the invention is to provide novel improvernents in a plastic covered solid or rigid article.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved rigid article having a relatively soft pliant outer layer or coating.

A further object of the invention is to provide as a new article of manufacture a novel safety cushioned handle for a ski tow or a tool, or other hand grip article or device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel method of molding a rigid or solid article having a soft sponge-like covering.

Other objects and advantages will appear and be brought out more fully in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a preferred form of the invention incorporated in a ski tow handle.

FIGURE 2 is a partial view of the rigid element and the end closure thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view enlarged taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a view partly broken away, similar to FIGURE 1 of a modified form of the invention.

The herein described invention is a plastic coated or covered solid or rigid article which may take many shapes or forms, is adaptable to a wide variety of uses, however, is described herein by way of illustration as applied to a handle for a rope ski tow. In the drawing the ski tow handle comprises an elongated hollow rigid member 10, generally rectangular in cross section, and preferably of light metal such as aluminum or an equivalent non-ferrous metal alloy. Each end of member is closed by a suitable plug 11, preferably of wood, which extends inwardly a short distance from each end. Plug 11 is formed with a transverse aperture 12 which is aligned with a pair of apertures 13 in opposite sides of member 10.

Member 10 and the exposed ends of plug 11 are covered with a primer coat and over the primer coat a layer 14 of a hard setting plastic is applied. This layer of plastic is surrounded by a layer or coating of a soft setting plastic 15. When being molded the outer layer 15 is formed with an enlargement 16 extending along one side, suitably shaped to form finger grooves, and this layer is further formed with a longitudinal groove 17 ex-- tending along the opposite side between apertures 12. Groove 17 thus forms a recess for the ski tow rope which extends through the apertures 12 and 13.

In the process of making the article of this invention the rigid element 10 and the contained end plugs 11 which are preferably of redwood, after being suitably smoothed, are provided with a coat of a suitable plastic primer which is allowed to air dry. The primed base is then heated to a sufiiciently high temperature that it may be coated with a layer of a hard setting plastic such as 70 Shore A plastisol having a desired thickness which will adhere and be partially cured due to the retained heat of inner member 10. This high Shore plastisol provides a strong coating for the outer layer 15 which comprises a 30 Shore A plastisol and cured under heat Patented New. 1?, 196-4 8 rod and pressure. During this process the primer and high and low Shore plastisols fuse and become as one and form a tenacious bond to the rigid handle member 1 As will be apparent from FIGURE 3, both the inner and outer plastisol layers extend through the apertures 12 and 13 of the plugs and member 10, and thus form a resilient cushioning spacer between the tow rope and the edges of the plug apertures. Furthermore, the formation of the longitudinal. groove 1'7 provides a substantial enclosure portion of the tow rope which extends between the apertures.

FIGURE 4 shows a modified form of the invention also applied to a ski tow handle wherein an elongated rigid member 20 consists of a solid piece of wood having tow rope apertures 21 adjacent the ends thereof. Member 26 is formed with a primer coat and inner and outer layers of molded plastic generally indicated at 22 substantially similar to the form of the invention shown in the FIGURES l to 3.

It will be understood that the foregoing description is illustrative rather than restrictive of the invention, and that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the sub-joined claims. For example, the rigid member may be of any hard material such as a phenolic plastic. Also the 30 and Shore plastics have been described as preferable, nevertheless other materials of varying degrees of hardness may be used.

Having described the invention what we claim is:

1. An article having a molded outer layer comprising an elongated rigid hollow core member closed at both ends having a layer of a hard setting plastic thereon, and an outer layer of a cushioning plastic, said member having a transverse aperture adjacent the ends thereof.

2. An article having a molded outer layer comprising an elongated rigid hollow core member closed at both ends having a primer coating, a layer of a hard setting plastic thereon, and an outer layer of a soft setting plastic, said member having a transverse aperture adiacent the ends thereof, said layers of plastic extending through said apertures.

3. An article having a molded outer layer comprising an elongated rigid hollow core member closed at both ends having a layer of a hard setting plastic thereon, and a layer of a cushioning plastic completely enclosing said core member, said member having a transverse aperture adjacent the ends thereof, said layers of plastic extending through said apertures, the outer layer of plastic being formed with a longitudinal groove extending between said apertures.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 45,201 Wyckotr" 1 Nov. 22, 1864 971,876 Apple Oct. 4, 1910 1,161,270 Vance Nov. 23, 1915 1,472,166 Griffiths Oct. 30, 1923 1,474,510 Campbell Nov. 20, 1923 2,233,516 Cecil et al. Mar. 4, 1941 2,235,148 Gartrell Mar. 18, 1941 2,237,969 Olsen Apr. 8, 1941 2,318,589 Barnette May 11, 1943 2,448,894 Laus Sept. 7, 1943 ,857 Cavallier Oct, 27, 1953 60,751 Falkenberg Dec. 1, 1953 93,797 Risney Sept. 5, 1961 3,092,068 Brownson June 4, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS ,981 France May 2, 1960 .4 Great Britain Dec. 11, 1957 

1. AN ARTICLE HAVING A MOLDED OUTER LAYER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED RIGID HOLLOW CORE MEMBER CLOSED AT BOTH ENDS HAVING A LAYER OF A HARD SETTING PLASTIC THEREON, AND AN OUTER LAYER OF CUSHIONING PLASTIC, SAID MEMBER HAVING A TRANSVERSE APERTURE ADJACENT THE ENDS THEREOF. 